Airlines, Airplanes, and Airports

Week of January 11, 2010

News Item: Crowds. Delays. Fees and Surcharges. Delays. Frustration. Delays. Oh, and increased security – think full-bodied pat downs. Welcome to air travel in 2010 – not at all the luxurious experience it was long ago. A reprieve for travelers?: Beginning this spring, the U.S. government will fine any airlines that keep passengers on a grounded aircraft for more than two hours without providing food or drink, or three hours without allowing them to disembark. This week we offer a list of titles about commercial air travel and the airline industry. Also take a look at books on airport design.

Air Passenger Routes in Hub and Spoke Networks
By Wei Song. Edwin Mellen Press, 2003
Call Number: HE9803 .A4 S66 2003

Air Piracy, Airport Security, and International Terrorism: Winning the War Against Hijackers
By Peter St. John. Quorum Books, 1991
Call Number: HE9779 .S7 1991

Airline Competition: Deregulation’s Mixed Legacy
By George Williams. Ashgate, 2002
Call Number: HE9777.7 .W55 2002

ARTstor has Improved Functionality

ARTstor, a collection of hundreds and thousands of digital images, has improved the functionality of and corrected errors related to several features in the Digital Library.

• URL links to images and groups will open the image viewer consistently, whether a user clicks the link on a web page, in an email or document, or pastes the URL into a browser address bar.

• URL links to image groups will allow ARTstor users (on-campus or accessing through a user account) to open the group, regardless of the access rights on the image group’s folder.

• Changes made to the order of image groups within folders can now be saved successfully, and changes will persist in future sessions.

• Folders created and edited through the Folder Manager window can be assigned ‘Public’ access, and saved successfully without receiving an error message.

• Folders assigned ‘Private’ access with no password will no longer display as ‘Public’ in the Folder Manager window.

If you have further questions about using these features, please consult the ARTstor Help pages (http://help.artstor.org) or contact User Services at 888-278-0079 / userservices@artstor.org.

Foreign Broadcast Information Service Daily Reports – January Database of the Month

Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Daily Reports (1974-1996) contains comprehensive media reports from around the globe which have been translated into English from more than 50 languages. The reports, collected by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), include news, interviews, and speeches transcripted from radio broadcasts and official news services.

The Daily Reports are key primary source materials which are useful for a better understanding of world history. They can be searched easily by date, keywords, countries/regions, or events and are organized around eight world regions – Africa, Asia, Australia/Oceania, Caribbean, Europe, Middle East /Near East, North America, and South America. Continue reading

In the News: 2009 Book Award Winners & Critics’ Picks

Week of December 14, 2009

Seasons Greetings! “In the News” will be on holiday for three weeks. We’ll return with a new list of titles on January 11, 2010. – Maris

News Item: Need something to read during Intersession? Pick up one of these award-winning titles and top-picks by New York Times, NPR, and Publishers Weekly critics.

The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science – (Publishers Weekly Top 10; New York Times Notable Book, Non Fiction)
By Richard Holmes. Pantheon Books, 2008
Call Number: Q127 .G4 H65 2008

All Souls – (Pulitzer Finalist, Fiction)
By Christine Schutt. Harcourt, 2008
Call Number: PS3569 .C55555 A45 2008

Amateur Barbarians: A Novel – (New York Times Notable Book, Fiction)
By Robert Cohen. Scribner, 2009
Call Number: PS3553 .O4273 A8 2009

In the News: The “Cost” of War in the Middle East

Week of December 7, 2009

News Item: This past week President Obama announced his decision to deploy 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan which will eventually bring levels close to 98,000. Public opinion polls indicate Americans are losing confidence in the administration’s handling of the war, but military experts believe more troops are needed to succeed in the region. Since 2002, U.S. efforts in the Middle East have put an even larger strain on the federal deficit and on the very soldiers who have now spent repeated tours of duty in the region.

One of the Guys: Women As Aggressors and Torturers

The Deserter's Tale: The Story of an Ordinary Soldier Who Walked Away from the War in Iraq

The Price of Liberty: Paying for America's Wars

Air Power Against Terror: America’s Conduct of Operation Enduring Freedom
By Benjamin S. Lambeth. RAND Corp., 2005
Call Number: DS371.412 .L36 2005

Blood Money: Wasted Billions, Lost Lives, and Corporate Greed in Iraq (DVD)
Directed by Leo Telling. Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 2008
Call Number: DS79.76 .M47 2006

Breaking the Silence: Truth and Lies in the War on Terror (DVD)
Directed by Steve Connelly and John Pilger. Bullfrog Films, 2004
Call Number: E183.8 .A3 B732 2004 (Boca Raton Media Center)

Find the Map You Need!

There are many interesting and useful maps available at the S.E. Wimberly Library. The Government Documents Department facilitates access to numerous map collections which are housed on First Floor East. These maps can be checked out with your Owl Card at the Documents Office (LY 109) or Reference Desk.

To discover the collections, take a look at the descriptions of Map Resources on the Government Resources web site. Among the multitudes of maps are USGS topographic maps, world political maps, National Geographic maps, National Park maps, and geologic maps. There are also detailed Census Bureau maps of Palm Beach, Broward, and Dade counties.

One of our newest collections contains International Travel Maps. Here you’ll find maps of most of the world’s nations, along with regional and notable city maps (Paris, London, Barcelona, and Rome to name a few). Also, maps of U.S. states and many Caribbean islands are available.

Looking for digital maps? Florida’s PALMM Project features the World Map Collections which includes extensive Florida historical, aerial, and Sanborn Fire Insurance maps. Browse other digital map collections on the GODART Maps & Geography links page.

Compendex – December Database of the Month

Compendex (1970 to present) is the most comprehensive bibliographic database of engineering research available today. Coverage includes nuclear technology, bioengineering, transportation, chemical and process engineering, light and optical technology, agricultural engineering and food technology, computers and data processing, applied physics, electronics and communications, control, civil, mechanical, materials, petroleum, aerospace and automotive engineering as well as narrower subtopics within all these and other major engineering fields.
Continue reading

In the News: Buy, Buy, Buy

Week of November 30, 2009

News Item: This past Friday, consumers who chose not to participate in Buy Nothing Day were out in full-force nabbing the best deals on electronics, toys, and other holiday merchandise. An “In the News” topic from 2007 focused on holiday shopping. This year, we offer more titles on the shopping experience, but also include resources on a few well-known corporations so that you can learn more about the stores where you shop.

Jump to:
Shopping & Consumerism
Places to Shop

Shopping & Consumerism

Addicted to Cheap Shopping (DVD)
Directed by Leo Telling. Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 2008
Call Number: HF5429.215 .U6 A33 2008

The Affluent Consumer: Marketing and Selling the Luxury Lifestyle
By Richard D. Michman and Edward M. Mazze. Praeger Publishers, 2006
Call Number: HF5415.33 .U6 M53 2006

Carried Away: The Invention of Modern Shopping
By Rachel Bowlby. Columbia University Press, 2001
Call Number: Available online via NetLibrary

In the News: Turkey Day 2009: For Vegetarians, Meat-Eaters, and Everyone in Between

Week of November 23, 2009

News Item: This week while millions of Americans are preparing to feast on turkey and a host of side dishes and desserts (many of which are made with animal products), we provide you with a list of book and video titles that are essentially turkey-free. Read about vegetarianism, animal rights and food, and the human diet. (We’ve thrown in a few titles on the meat industry, though, just to keep things balanced.) Enjoy!

The 1985-86 Hormel Meat-Packers Strike in Austin, Minnesota
By Fred Halstead. Pathfinder Press, 2003
Call Number: HD5325 .P15 1985 .A874 2003

America’s Food: What You Don’t Know About What You Eat
By Harvey Blatt. MIT Press, 2008
Call Number: HD9005 .B628 2008 (Also available online via NetLibrary)

Animal Minds and Human Morals: The Origins of the Western Debate
By Richard Sorabji. Cornell University Press, 1993
Call Number: B187 .M55 S67 1993

In the News: Venezuela, Blackouts, and Hugo Chávez

Week of November 16, 2009

News Item: As a major petroleum producer, Venezuela has one of the world’s largest reserves of crude oil, and President Hugo Chávez has been applauded for using his country’s oil wealth to establish social welfare programs that target the poorest populations. Yet, periodic electrical blackouts have frustrated many Venezuelan citizens who are protesting the government’s irresponsible management of its energy programs. United States officials have often seen Chávez as a threat to democracy in the Latin American region. Chávez, a leader of the Bolivarian Revolution, has been equally disapproving of the U.S., especially after its alleged involvement in the 2002 coup which temporarily removed Chávez from office.

5 Factories: Worker Control in Venezuela (DVD)
By Dario Azzellini & Oliver Ressler. California Newsreel, 2006
Call Number: HD70 .V4 A15 2006 (Boca Raton Media Center)

Birds of Venezuela
By Steven L. Hilty. Princeton University Press, 2003
Call Number: QL689 .V4 H56 2003

Bush Versus Chávez: Washington’s War on Venezuela
By Eva Golinger. Monthly Review Press, 2008
Call Number: E183.8 .V4 G65 2008